The beauty of politics: how the vote can be turned

IN the recently released film, The Duchess, Keira Knightley plays Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire.

Georgiana was a celebrated 18th beauty, socialite and active political campaigner, even though womens’ suffrage was more than a century away. She campaigned for the noted Whig, Charles James Fox. During the 1784 general election, the duchess was rumoured to have traded kisses for votes in favour of Fox. More than 200 years later, Sarah Palin is proving to be similarly useful to the Republicans in the US, only this time womens’ votes are the target.

Dr Florence Craven